Mt. Vernon, Illinois

Mt. Vernon is the county seat of Jefferson County with a population of approximately 14,600. The city is known as the "Festival Arts City" and "King City." Located at the interchange of Interstate 57 and Interstate 64, it serves as a regional hub for Southern Illinois. The Illinois Supreme Court Fifth District sat here beginning in 1848, and the 1854 appellate courthouse still stands—Abraham Lincoln argued cases here. Major employers include Continental Tire (approximately 3,500 employees), Walgreens Distribution Center, SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital, and National Railway Equipment. The city was struck by a devastating tornado in 1888 that killed 37 people and destroyed the courthouse; Clara Barton and the American Red Cross provided relief efforts.